Department for Transport

Newquay Cornwall Airport

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will review the terms of the public service obligation arrangements to support flights to and from Cornwall Airport Newquay when operators are prepared to operate flights on a commercial basis on the same routes.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We recognise and value the importance of regional connectivity. Flybe's planned flights from Newquay adds a new route into Heathrow and capacity to Manchester.UK policy on public service obligations (PSOs) protects existing routes into London, with no viable alternative, that are in danger of being lost, under which DfT and Cornwall Council fund the Gatwick route. We work closely with funding partners and local stakeholders to review on-going performance and future operations of PSOs.

M1: Closures

Lord Blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many closures, on what dates, and for what duration, occurred on the M1 motorway from 1 to 21 August; and what was the reason for reducing the M1 to one lane between junctions 24 and 25 (northbound) on the evening of 12 August and the morningof 13 August; and what work was undertaken during that closure in the coned off area of the motorway.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The information requested can only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Avian Influenza: Seals

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how manyseals have died around the UK or its territorial waters as a result of avian flu spread through seabird colonies.

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the scale of the impact of avian flu on UK colonies of seabirds.

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of avian flu on the colony of gannets on Bass Rock near North Berwick, and the resulting loss of population.

Lord Benyon: We recognise the significant threat posed by highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) to the UK’s seabird populations and it is deeply concerning to see the impact this is having on these important species. Details of findings of HPAI in wild birds in Great Britain are updated weekly and published via GOV.UK/Bird-Flu, together with outbreak and risk assessments. These reports include the recent mortalities of gannets on Bass Rock. Defra is working with Devolved Administrations, Arm’s Length Bodies and NGOs to monitor and respond to the effect of HPAI on wild birds. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) operate a robust programme of wild bird surveillance and carry out year-round HPAI surveillance of dead wild birds from across Great Britain. While HPAI viruses are predominantly considered a pathogen of birds, the virus can infect mammals. While there is no routine surveillance for HPAI in seals, causes of death of stranded marine mammals are monitored and investigated through the Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme and Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme. Where appropriate, stranded seals are tested for avian influenza in collaboration with the APHA avian influenza National Reference Laboratory. While the scale of HPAI findings in seabirds during the 2021/2022 avian influenza outbreak have been unprecedented, to date there is no evidence of increased mortality in UK seal populations or an increase in clinical cases brought into wildlife rehabilitation centres.

Birds: Conservation

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they intend to take to ensure that seabird colonies, such as colonies of gannets, are adequately protected, including in respect of (1) invasive species, (2) marine pollution, and (3) overfishing.

Lord Benyon: The UK's seabirds are an important part of our natural heritage, and we continue to support actions to address the range of threats they are facing. Defra have commissioned Natural England to assess the vulnerability of seabird species in light of the pressures they are facing and propose actions to address them. We will work closely with stakeholders to understand the best way to implement and prioritise these actions in early 2023.To protect the UK's 42 seabird island Special Protection Areas, Defra is funding work through the RSPB's Biosecurity programme which seeks to address the need for biosecurity measures through the removal of introduced predatory mammals.The UK is a global leader in tackling plastic pollution that enters our waterways, rivers, and ocean. As set out in the UK Marine Strategy Part Three, the UK government is taking action to reduce pollution in the marine environment to help protect marine species, including seabirds. We aim to publish an updated UK Marine Strategy Part Three later this year, outlining the programmes of measures that will continue to move us towards Good Environmental Status in our seas.We are also assessing the impact that fishing for forage fish species has on the marine ecosystem, including on vulnerable seabirds. Following the recent call for evidence, Defra, working with others, will be developing a policy on a future management strategy for industrial fishing in UK waters. This includes reviewing our policy for the sandeel fishery in the North Sea.